So what happened? Besides the obvious? Three months ago, Jesse and I were having talks about “family planning” and decided we’d “stop preventing pregnancy” but not “try” to get pregnant. Take a ce la vis (half assed) approach, if you will, to see if a 2013 baby was going to magically happen.

We’d give ourselves from September to December, and then I’d focus on the 2013 season if it didn’t happen. I was pretty sure it wouldn’t. I mean, lean distance runner…missed my period for 1 1/2 years at one point…periods as predictable as a caffeinated monkey…more testosterone than your average fair maiden…

If it didn’t work out, I could just “try” again next year, or after the next Olympics (see the Truth About Running and Babies for the question of timing).

One Shot Wonder

Well, as it turns out, boom. First try. Well done J-Man, as if he needed the ego boost. 🙂 We didn’t know at the time, of course. Here I am, oblivious, with an embryo floating around in there, spending hours writing a blog weighing the pros and cons of when to start a family. Hopefully that ended up being useful to someone besides me.

Anyway, I delivered the positive prego test to Jesse in bed one night and we pretty much alternated between staring at the wall, and checking to make sure the other person was still there. We wanted to be excited, but it happened so fast. We hadn’t built up any anticipation. It seemed too good to be true. In situations like that, you either consider yourself blessed or start obsessing over what could possibly go wrong. We did both.

The Waiting Game

You may not know this, but 1 in 4-5 pregnancies miscarries. That’s why a lot of people wait so long to tell people. After 12 weeks, you’re pretty good to go. As a person who holds very little back in general (what?!), you can imagine how EFFING TORTUROUS it has been to keep it a secret.

I couldn’t blog about the craziest thing going on in my life, so what the hell was I going to blog about? Nausea and fatigue without a cause? I’d try to blither on about something unrelated and my brain was like a heat sinking missile, diving straight for the things I couldn’t talk about: sponsor relationships, pregnancy, arghhhh!

9 weeks in, it looks like a blob playing basketball.

The worst part of the waiting period was the feeling of lying by omission. I wanted to keep practicing with my OTC Elite team, but what would I talk to my teammates about? My 2014 racing goals? The fact that I planned to leave the team in a few months but not be able to explain why? Make up bizarre lies for why I was skipping hard workouts or modifying my weights routine? It was just easier to train alone, and huddle in the Harry Potter Closet under the stairs, waiting for the upcoming date when I could go to Hogwarts and be myself. I didn’t enjoy it one bit.

And now, sweet relief. Let’s hear it for freedom of speech! Jesse and I are making a miniature human.

Meet said human:

At 13 weeks, it looks more like a human, and Jesse and I just sat there with a goofy ass grin on our faces watching it roll and bounce all over the place. It's the size of a peach. P.S. Why are all the standard size comparisons for babies food-related?

So what is this knocked up pro athlete up to now?

Headed to Austin Texas!

Three days will be spent at The Running Event to check out the latest and greatest from all the running companies and identify my dream team for the next four years. I can’t wait to see all the innovation and style that has progressed in the running market. My next blog will be about this “enormous event” that nobody besides the running retail world knows about, which I’ve been assured will amaze and astound.

Then, that ice cream sundae of awesomeness will be topped with the Professional Track and Field Summit hosted by the Austin Track Club. I’ll be speaking on a panel with a bunch of other pros you’ll recognize, and hopefully we get some good dialogue going that can make this sport’s future a lot brighter.

Are there any running companies, big or small, that I should be sure not to miss at this event? Any product you can imagine a runner using will be there. I’ve been under a Nike rock for 9 1/2 years (a very nice one, but still), and I’m totally out of touch with what brands are worth exploring. This is what I’m looking for:

Great gear made by companies that have a brand I can genuinely stand behind, which means they can’t be assholes, or dirtbags, or manipulative cults pretending to be something they’re not, like Lululemon. Gotta keep it real.

I’ll check out your recommendations and report back later this week. Thanks for reading and sharing in the good news!

Congrats, Lauren! Please blog about how you are training while pregnant, and what you did in the first few months. Did you cut out speed work? Did you cut back mileage? What are your plans going forward? Those of us who are hoping to be in your situation soon would love to hear about it.

Well now. Yey you! (you two, no three). Did you really have to be running in the pouring rain/cold/wind last Thurs night preggers and all?Can we bring umbrellas, lounge chair and some warm herbal tea next time?

I’m just a recreational trail/ultra runner who also didn’t expect to get pregnant so quickly but wham! It’s been so much better than expected. At 24 weeks now, I haven’t been able to do the ultras–just don’t have the endurance–but did run a marathon at 8 weeks, lots of trail running, 15 miler at 20 weeks, still going…I really appreciate your honesty and it’s so hard to find info on running and pregnancy. Probably partly because it’s very individual, as it should be. Would be kind of f-Ed up to sic pregnant runner girls on any kind of schedule that can be researched. Please post about how it goes! I’m still inspired by a woman I ran a 100k with who was pump and dumping on the uphills–still breast feeding her 7 mo old. Congrats (because it takes so much talent to get knocked up 😉 sure hope my baby doesn’t ever race your baby.

Wow! that was super fast! well done – it certainly gives hope to of us athletes worrying about how training will affect getting pregnant 🙂

As for sponsers – the two that come to mind are Brooks and New Balance. NB specifically, since I remember a Jenny Simpson interview on competitor radio where she talked about their values and the fact that it’s a ‘true american product’, or something along those lines (I was at the 22nd mile of my long run, so you know…)

Congratulations to you and Jesse. I have really enjoyed reading your blog for the last year or two and have been very inspired by your perseverance and level-headedness through injury. Thank you for letting us in on your world and as per your last post, I hope to see you writing for Runners World, (or what about the NYtimes?), or any such source, sometime soon. Most of all, congratulations on the happy news!

Congratulations! What great news! I was so happy to read that you were trying, and how amazing that it happened so fast! Looking forward to following your progress – hopefully there won’t be a pregnant pause (pun intended) between posts!

Congratulations Lauren & Jesse! I guess 2013 was just meant to be the year of the baby. 🙂 Love those rockin’ blue PJ’s. I need some with feet. Have fun in TX, and I hope you find the perfect fit for your next sponsorship.

First, Congratulations!!! Second, I am SO EXCITED!!! I am currently 27 weeks and consider myself a semi-elite runner and there is not very much out there as far as running and pregnancy goes unless you’re Kara Goucher and logging 90+ miles or just running for fitness. I can’t wait to read about how your pregnancy goes. Just for fun, I started my own pregnancy/running blog and just like you didn’t share the news for a while, so its sort of behind, but I’m working on it. Check it out if you want to see all the crazy things that could (but hopefully don’t) happen to you that happened to me in the weeks and months to come. I sincerely hope that yours is super smooth, but if you need to hear me talk about all my issues in a honest way, head on over…adamsjen39.wordpress.com.

omg!!! That is GREAT!! Congratulations to you and Jesse (and grandparents Carol and Jeff, who are off-the-charts excited). I look forward to tracking your family’s progress (pun intended). Also wondering what athletic records a Lauren-Jesse baby will bust, considering genetics. 🙂

Congrats to you all – so happy for you that is happened so fast! Love Raina’s “PickyBabe” – surely he or she will be every bit as speedy as conception. 🙂
Check out Saucony while you are down there – my running partner designed some awesome stuff for the women’s lines that are coming out now – she’s finally brought a girl’s perspective to what’s always been a great company!

I say go checkout Brooks Running Company! They have an Awesome Night Running line of clothing and not to mention Great Running shoes for runners of all shapes and sizes. They also have a clothing line for the side called Moving Comfort which is the Women’s based sister company that makes some of the Best Sports Bras.

Absolutely amazing that you’re pregnant so quickly! We had our daughter 12 years after we were married and that wasn’t planned. My daughter just turned 18 and I can still remember the drive to the hospital back in 1994 very clearly. My son just turned 14 and is 5’11” (yikes!) If you’re as lucky as me, you will have smart, healthy, warm-hearted and athletically gifted kids.

Hallelujah! Congratulations!
I just went running today with my 29-year-old daughter…think of that, Lauren, running alongside your daughter (or son), and sharing that joy.
I am so happy for you and Jesse…and baby makes three.

Congratulations, Lauren & Jesse, you’re going to be awesome parents with all that humor plus good looks!! haha!! What a “Wonderful World” you are both experiencing! Good luck with your pregnancy. /June Gall

Congratufreakinlations Lauren and Jessee! Hope y’all are having fun in Austin, and can’t wait to hear more about your trip. Of course I’m partial to Oiselle, but I’m sure you’ll ultimately make the best decision for you and your family. And thanks for sharing that bit on lululemon. I never really cared for their products, and I’m glad my intuition was right!

I knew it was you that was pregnant without even reading the body of your post, but I’m deeply, DEEPLY perceptive like that. Congrats! This will be totally fun when you’re not overwhelmed and miserable, and kind of fun even when you are.

I have an 18-month-old son, and it is a wild freaking ride. So, so impossible to prepare for, scary as hell, but so much fun. Also, four words: BOB Ironman running stroller. That thing rolls like butter.

Congrats! Katherine says “Lauren will be the best mommy ever! but not as great as you!” We are thrilled for you. Can’t wait to hear more about the baby. That kid is going to have some serious genetic talent!!! Can you say freakishly fast??

I had half a mind when I saw the email from you to mention when I opened the email that this Sunday is the Bay Area Track Club’s XC meet in Golden Gate Park. Oops, that seemed not the right idea after reading the happy post, but then I remembered Clara Peterson (Horowitz) who ran last year very, very pregnant, and seemed to have a great time. Perhaps you should come down, see friends, and brunch with Clara to peek into the future…

Here’s the link to the BATC and the meet info, also Clara’s web site.

Clara’s coaching info and other good stuff:http://coachclara.com/ Root around in there and I am sure you can connect…

Meet mentioned above, the race is this Sunday, Jan 13th. http://www.bayareatrackclub.com/page/BAXC-2013
Watch the video that on there, Clara is featured in there, very pregnant and smiling, and she was really fast too. Come and continue the pregnant tradition…

Best to all of you,

Tim Wason, SF Running & Walking

Call if you need more info: 415-823-2276 cell

I got a couple of Picky Bars at Sports Basement in the Presidio, and wow, they are great. Hope you have them down also at Track House at The Farm.

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